☕️ Coffee wars in China

Join us on a journey through the fast moving coffee industry of China. Hyped up on recent growth, a number of global powerhouses are now bringing a whole new approach to the future of coffee in China

Oct 05, 2023

Look out tea industry — coffee is gaining ground at an astonishing pace! Contrary to popular belief, coffee is steadily emerging as the beverage of choice among Chinese consumers. While tea remains deeply rooted in the culture, the shift toward coffee is occurring more rapidly than anyone imagined.

Believe it or not, China now has three times as many coffee shops as the United States and five times as many as Australia and the United Kingdom. In terms of coffee cup consumption, China sells approximately 10 billion cups of coffee per year, with a growth rate of 22%, which is 10 times the world average growth rate. By 2025, it is expected that China's coffee market will surpass $31 billion.

After seeing these astonishing numbers, a common question arises: what does the coffee market in China look like, and why did a traditionally tea-drinking country suddenly start flocking to coffee shops? What strategies are coffee shops and other brands using to succeed here?

To answer these questions and more, the coffee wars series here on Momentum will go deep into the companies or trends, exploring the ins and outs of industry.

I believe that, like me, you are tired of the mundane reports on Starbucks or Luckin Coffee from the mainstream media. Therefore, here, I aim to offer a fresh perspective for coffee practitioners and enthusiasts, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the Chinese coffee market.